I’m Mafalda, a 29-year-old Portuguese woman doing my doctorate at the University of Kiel with a Portuguese PhD fellowship that allows me to develop my project with the cooperation of GEOMAR and the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). I’m doing my PhD in Marine Geology studying a natural submarine system where carbon sequestration occurs naturally as inorganic carbonate minerals. These minerals are formed in the large serpentinite mud volcanoes located at the Mariana Forearc (right next to the Mariana Trench!) and sequester CO₂ from the seawater (a major finding of my research).  

A PhD fellowship has many advantages, such as allowing you to manage your own project, your working hours and your workplace with reasonable independence but, unfortunately, it also has many setbacks. One such setback is that by not having a working contract with any of the research institutions involved in your PhD, it’s much more difficult to obtain funding for analyses and experiments in external institutions and for attending scientific events, such as conferences, meetings, cruises, etc… These “secondary” activities are VERY important for any scientist, especially a PhD candidate venturing into the scientific world. You need to show your proactivity from the beginning. Get yourself out there, disseminate your project, and share your results. Create your own scientific network. Establish cooperations. Many “old school” PIs might disagree but don’t ever forget that this is your PhD. It’s your time to shine. And in such a fast-changing scientific world, there’s no better time to carve your place. Back to the funding, whenever there is a congress that I would like to attend, I have to spend countless hours applying for external funding – time that I’m not spending on my research. Thankfully, this year I was awarded the FYORD Travel Grant, allowing me to participate in the EGU General Assembly 2024. EGU is the biggest annual meeting in Europe that covers all the geosciences fields. This year was the biggest edition ever, with a record-breaking number of online and onsite participants, and 18,895 presentations happening in one week in Viena, Austria! 

I’ve wanted to participate in this conference since the beginning of my scientific journey (seven years ago!), so, this was almost like a dream come true. I presented some of my results in a poster (the biggest poster I’ve ever designed), which I find the most effective format to meet and connect with other researchers from the same research field and, at the same time, perfect to hear pretty relevant questions and suggestions about your work that can help you improve in many ways. I was amazed by the number of worldwide renowned scientists that actually visited my poster. It was very fulfilling to have the pleasure of discussing my data with some of the names I’m used to seeing in my reference library regularly. Aside from the mission-accomplished feeling of presenting your work, you’ll find yourself immersed in a unique world where you have several activities and sessions happening at the same time, covering all disciplines related to geosciences. There is no exaggeration when people say you need to study the program in advance and meticulously plan which sessions, presentations, courses, debates, and networking events you really want to attend – this is crucial for one to seize the EGU as best possible.

I also applied to work as a conference assistant at EGU to cover the totality of the expenses related to my participation in this conference and was among the few people who were selected. So, this week turned into a unique experience where I could be a participant and work in the conference simultaneously. It was very intense because I had to be at my working post all day and every day, but since the environment was very friendly, I could coordinate with my colleagues and be able to participate in the activities I found most important for my PhD. Overall, I’m very happy to have had this opportunity. It was very good to see what is being studied and developed in my research field. I learned a lot, and it was very fulfilling to be part of such a huge scientific event.

However, I must confess that working 12 hours a day while trying to attend as many relevant seminars as possible and presenting my work to such renowned researchers was both exhausting and intimidating. As if it wasn’t enough, I also applied for the Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Awards. This prize recognizes early career scientists (Bachelor and Master students, and PhD candidates, or recent BSc and MSc graduates and PhD candidates who received their degree after January 1 of the conference year) who are first authors and personally present a poster or PICO (2-minute interactive oral presentation) at the EGU General Assembly. Given how tired I was, I felt far from my best when presenting my poster, and I’m quite sure this affected my chances of winning the prize. However, I know I did my best under the circumstances, so I can’t beat myself up too much if I don’t win. Additionally, I had the extra motivation of being well-paid for each hour worked and knowing that I was gaining valuable skills by working as a conference assistant. If you lack funding to attend EGU, remember that you can apply to be a conference assistant.

I highly recommend that any early career scientist working in geosciences should attend the EGU. It’s a unique and immersive experience, where you find yourself surrounded by thousands of researchers eager to share and discuss their science, and a great opportunity to learn and expand your horizons, in my opinion. It’s also a great way to meet new people and reconnect with colleagues and other early-career scientists from your field. The numerous networking activities both at the congress centre and in Vienna’s city centre only add to the experience. Since I’m currently working in Lisbon on my doctorate project, I took full advantage of the EGU to reconnect with friends doing science in other European countries, as well as with my fellow doctorate colleagues from GEOMAR, whom I miss dearly.